Package of disposable diapers

ABSTRACT

Here is disclosed a package of disposable diapers in which diapers are arranged in close contact one with another in a back-and-forth direction of the diapers each having waist-lateral portions folded inward between themselves together with lateral portions of a core in front and rear waist regions of the diaper toward a longitudinal center line bisecting a width dimension defined between the waist-lateral portions. Of these diapers, intermediate portions between the waist-lateral portions are in close contact one with another so that the diapers can be compactly packed within a bag without any significant void space left between each pair of the diapers adjacent to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a package of disposable diapersand more specifically, to a package of a plurality of pull-on disposablediapers arranged within a flexible bag.

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1999-104177A andJapanese Patent Application Publication No. 1999-155904A disclose apull-on disposable diaper defining front and rear waist regions opposedto each other and a crotch region extending between these waist regions,on one hand, and comprising a liquid-pervious topsheet, aliquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core interposedbetween these sheets so as to form a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes.

[0003] The pull-on disposable diapers as disclosed in the above-citedPublications are adapted to be folded in the crotch region so that therespective inner surfaces of the front and rear waist regions may comein contact with each other to be flattened together. A set of about 16to 48 individual diapers each flatly folded in this manner is orderlyand closely packed into the package and sold per such package. Forexample, when 16 diapers are packed in the package, 8 diapers arearranged so that these diapers may have front and rear surfacessuccessively in contact one with another to form a first row extendingin back-and-forth direction between opposite side walls of the packageand may be laid in side-by-side relationship with the first row or laidon the first row. In each row, each pair of diapers adjacent to eachother in the back-and-forth direction, substantially entire outersurface defined by the front and rear waist region of the one diaper isin contact with the corresponding entire outer surface of the otherdiaper. When it is desired to pick up one of these diapers, the upperwall of the package may be broken and one diaper may be finger grippedand drawn out from the package toward above the package.

[0004] The diapers disclosed in the above-cited publications have beensold per package in which a plurality of the diapers are packed. Thediapers are closely packed in the package so as to be compressedtogether in back-and-forth direction between the opposed side walls ofthe package. Within the package, the row formed by these diapers iscompressed inward from longitudinally opposite ends of this row under apressure in a range of about 15 to 70 N. Therefore, a predeterminedforce is required to pick the individual diaper out from the row. As haspreviously been described, the substantially entire surface of thediaper defined by the outer surfaces in its front and waist regions andcrotch region is in close contact with the corresponding outer surfaceof the adjacent diaper. This means that a high frictional force betweeneach pair of the diapers adjacent to each other exerted over the largecontact area intends to prevent the individual diaper from beingsmoothly drawn out from the row. Specifically, a force in a range of 20to 22 N is required to pick the individual diaper out from the completerow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a packageadapted to pack a plurality of diapers allowing the individual diaper tobe smoothly drawn out from the row of these packages.

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a packageof disposable diapers comprising: a bag made of flexible sheet includinga pair of side walls; and a plurality of disposable diapers having awaist-hole, a pair of leg-holes, front and rear waist regions opposed toeach other and a crotch region extending between the front and rearwaist regions wherein each of the diapers includes a liquid-absorbentcore extending between the front and rear waist regions, the diapersbeing packed within the bag.

[0007] In the package, each of the diapers has waist-lateral portionsand an intermediate portion extending between the waist-lateralportions, the waist-lateral portions being folded inward betweenthemselves together with lateral portions of the core toward alongitudinal center line bisecting a width dimension defined betweenedges of the waist-lateral portions; and the diapers are arranged in onedirection to form a row between the pair of side walls with the waistmiddle portion of each of the diapers in close contact one with anotherand in a state of compression.

[0008] According to one preferred embodiment, leg-surrounding lateralportions forming the leg-holes are also folded inward together with thelateral portions of the core extending in the crotch region toward thelongitudinal center line.

[0009] A pressure in a range of 10 to 75 N is exerted inward upon therow of the diapers in the one direction between the side walls of thebag opposed to each other so that a force of 18 N or lower is enough todraw one of the diapers out from the row.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a bagconstituting a package of disposable diapers;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a manner in which theindividual diaper is drawn out from the bag;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the diaper having been drawnout from the bag;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a developed planar shape of thediaper illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating alternative manner inwhich the individual diaper is folded in order to be packed into thepackage;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a developed planar shape of thediaper illustrated in FIG. 5; and

[0016]FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a manner in which thediaper folded in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 is drawn out from thepackage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Details of the package of disposable diapers according to thepresent invention will be more fully understood from the descriptiongiven hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018]FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a bag 2constituting a package 1A of disposable diapers, FIG. 2 is a perspectiveview illustrating a manner in which the individual diaper 10 is drawnout from the bag 2, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the diaper 10having been drawn out from the bag 2 and FIG. 4 is a developed plan viewshowing the diaper 10 having its front and rear waist regions 14, 15disconnected from each other. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a transverse directionis indicated by an arrow X, a vertical direction is indicated by anarrow Y and a back-and-forth direction is indicated by an arrow Z. InFIG. 4, a width direction is indicated by an arrow L and a longitudinaldirection is indicated by an arrow M.

[0019] Within the bag 2 constituting the package 1A, a plurality offlatly folded diapers 10 are arranged in close contact one with anotherunder compression in the back-and-forth direction so that the diapers 10may be packed as efficiently as possible. The bag 2 is formed by aflexible plastic sheet and has a hexahedral shape which is relativelylong in the back-and-forth and defined by top and bottom walls 2 a, 2 band four side walls 2 c. The top wall 2 a of the bag 2 is integrallyformed with a handgrip 3. Within the bag 2, eight diapers 10 arearranged in close contact one with another in the back-and-forthdirection (one direction) between a pair of opposite side walls 2C, 2Cof the bag 2 to form a row 4 and a pair of such rows 4 are arranged sideby side. Thus a total of sixteen diapers 10 are packed in the bag 2.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the diaper 10 comprises aliquid-pervious topsheet 11 facing a wearer's body, a liquid-imperviousbacksheet 12 facing away from the wearer's body and a liquid-absorbentcore 13 interposed between the top- and backsheets 11, 12 and secured toan inner surface of at least one of these sheets 11, 12. The diaper 10defines front and rear waist regions 14, 15 opposed to each other and acrotch region 16 extending between these waist regions 14, 15. The core13 extends over the crotch region 16 further into the front and rearwaist regions 14, 15.

[0021] The diaper 10 has waist-surrounding end portions 17 lying outsidelongitudinally opposite ends 13 a of the core 13 and respectivelyextending in the front and rear waist regions 14, 15 in the widthdirection, waist-lateral portions 18 lying outside side edges 13 c ofthe core 13 and respectively extending in the front and rear waistregions 14, 15 in the longitudinal direction, and leg-surroundinglateral portions 19 lying outside side edges 13 b of the core 13 andextending in the crotch region 16 in a leg-surrounding direction.

[0022] The waist-lateral portions 18 in the front waist region 14 andthe waist-lateral portions 18 in the rear waist region 15 are overlaidand joined together in the vicinity of respective edges of these lateralportions 18 by a plurality of heat-welding lines 20 arrangedintermittently in the longitudinal direction. The diaper 10 is formedwith a waist-hole 21 and a pair of leg-holes 22. The leg-surroundinglateral portions 19 in the crotch region 16 describe circular arcs whichare respectively convex inward in the width direction of the diaper 10.The diaper 10 has a substantially hourglass-like developed planar shape.

[0023] The diaper 10 is formed in the waist-lateral portions 18 withfold-guiding lines 26 a, 26 b extending in the longitudinal direction asindicated by chain double-dashed lines in FIG. 4. These fold-guidinglines 26 a, 26 b extend parallel to a longitudinal center line 25bisecting a width dimension between the edges of the respective lateralportions 18 so as to extend in the respective side edges 13 c of thecore 13. In the crotch region 16, the diaper 10 is folded back in two inthe longitudinal direction with the topsheet 11 kept in contact withitself. The waist-lateral portions 18 also are folded inward togetherwith the lateral portions 13 c of the core 13 toward the longitudinalcenter line 25 along the fold-guiding lines 26 a, 26 b as well as alongimaginary fold-guiding lines 27.

[0024] With the lateral portions 18 folded inward, an intermediateportion 28 of the diaper 10 between the waist-lateral portions 18 isexposed out and has a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from thesides of the front and rear waist regions 14, 15 of the diaper 10. Inthe diaper 10 folded in the manner as has been described above, thediaper 10 has a substantially uniform thickness over the entire extentdefined from the waist-surrounding end portion 17 to the crotch region16. Consequently, the diaper 10 folded in this manner becomessignificantly compact compared to before the diaper 10 is folded. In thediaper 10 after folded, the fold-guiding lines 26 a, 26 b in the frontand rear waist regions 14, 15 intersect peripheral edges of therespective leg-holes 22. Consequently, the leg-surrounding lateralportions 19 forming the respective leg-holes 22 are partially foldedinward.

[0025] Longitudinally opposite end portions 11 a, 12 a of the top- andbacksheets 11, 12 extending outward beyond the longitudinally oppositeends 13 a of the core 13 are overlaid together along thewaist-surrounding end portion 17 of the diaper 10 and these top- andbacksheets 11, 12 have respective inner surfaces permanently bondedtogether along these end portions 11 a, 12 a. Transversely opposite sideportions 11 b, 12 b of the top- and backsheets 11, 12 extending outwardbeyond the side edges 13 c of the core 13 are overlaid together alongthe waist-lateral portions 18 and the leg-surrounding lateral portions19 and these top- and backsheets 11, 12 have respective inner surfacespermanently bonded together along these side portions 11 b, 12 b.

[0026] The waist-surrounding end portions 17 of the diaper 10 areprovided with waist-surrounding elastic members 23. These elasticmembers 23 are interposed between the top- and backsheets 11, 12 andbonded in a stretched state to inner surfaces of the sheets 11, 12 alongthe end portions 11 a, 12 a thereof. The leg-surrounding lateralportions 19 of the diaper 10 are provided with leg-surrounding elasticmembers 24. These elastic members 24 also are interposed between thetop- and backsheets 11, 12 and bonded in a stretched state to innersurface of the sheets 11, 12 along the side portions 11 b, 12 b thereof.

[0027] Each of the diapers 10 packed within the bag 2 has its waist-hole21 facing the top wall 2 a of the bag 2 and its crotch region 16 lyingon the bottom wall 2 b of the bag 2. Within the bag 2, the diapers 10are closely packed in a state of compression in the back-and-forthdirection with the intermediate portions 28 of the diapers 10 betweenthe waist-lateral portions 18 held in contact one with another, In thepackage 1B, a pressure in a range of 10 to 75 N (preferably in a rangeof 20 to 45 N) is exerted upon the row 4 of diapers 10 inward fromlongitudinally opposite ends 4 a, 4 b of the row 4 in the back-and-forthdirection (in one direction) between the longitudinally opposite sidewalls 2C, 2C of the bag 2.

[0028] According to the package 1A, each of the diapers 10 to be packedinto the bag 2 is compactly folded so that the diaper 10 may have asubstantially rectangular shape as viewed in the back-and-forthdirection and have a thickness substantially uniform in the back-andforth direction. Such manner of folding ensures that no void space isleft between each pair of the diapers 10 adjacent to each other when aplurality of diapers 10 are packed into the bag 2 and correspondinglythe diapers 10 can be efficiently packed into the bag 2. Compactlyfolding of the individual diapers 10 is effective also to reduce an areaover which each pair of the diapers adjacent to each other come incontact with each other and thereby to alleviate a frictional force(frictional resistance) generated between the diapers adjacent to eachother.

[0029] To take out a target diaper 10 from the bag 2, after the top wall2 a of the bag 2 has been broken, this diaper 10 may be finger-grippedand drawn upward from the row 4, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the caseof the package 1A shown in FIG. 2, the diapers 10 are put in the bag 2with the crotch regions 16 thereof facing downward and therefore thediaper 10 may be drawn out toward above the bag 2 with thewaist-surrounding end 17 of this diaper 10 gripped by the fingers.Though not shown, in the case of the package 1A in which the diapers 10are packed with the crotch regions 16 thereof facing upward, the diaper10 may be drawn out toward above the bag 2 with the crotch region 16 ofthis diaper 10. Alternatively, after one of the side walls 2 c has beenbroken, the target diaper 10 selected from the associated row 4 may begripped by the fingers and laterally drawn out from the bag 2.

[0030] If the pressure exerted inward upon each of the rows 4 from thelongitudinally opposite ends 4 a, 4 b of this row 4 is lower than 10 N,the row 4 is apt to lean forward or rearward within the package 1A and,when a plurality of the packages 1A are stacked in the verticaldirection, such stack of the packages 1A may unintentionally collapse.The pressure exceeding 75 N will make it difficult to smoothly draw thediaper 10 out from the associated row 4.

[0031] A pressure exerted inward in the back-and-forth direction uponthe row of the diapers 10 from the longitudinal opposite ends 4 a, 4 bof the row 4 was measured in a manner as follows:

[0032] (1) Eight diapers 10 with the waist-lateral portions 18 foldedback together with the side edges 13 c of the core 13 as seen in FIG. 3were arranged in the back-and-forth direction within the bag 2 to formthe row 4 and left for 24 hours without subjecting the row 4 to anypressure exerted inward from the longitudinally opposite ends 4 a, 4 bof the row 4 in the back-and-forth direction. In the row 4, theintermediate portions 28 of the diapers 10 exposed in the back-and-forthdirection were in contact one with another. The row 4 free from anypressure exerted inward thereupon in the back-and-forth direction had adimension in the back-and-forth direction larger than a dimension of thebag 2 in the back-and-forth direction;

[0033] (2) After left for 24 hours, a pair of plates were placed at thelongitudinally opposite ends 4 a, 4 b of the row 4, respectively, so asto sandwich the row 4. Then these plates were moved inward to compressthe row 4 in the back-and-forth direction until the dimension of the row4 in the back-and-forth direction exactly coincides with the dimensionof the bag 2 in the back-and-forth direction;

[0034] (3) A pressure exerted upon the plates when the dimension of therow 4 in the back-and-forth direction exactly coincides with thedimension of the bag 2 in the back-and-forth direction was measured by apressure tester; and

[0035] (4) As the pressure tester, INSTRON 5564 (supplied from INSTRONCORP.) was used. A compression rate of this pressure tester was 10nm/min. As the plates, acryl plates each having a surface area largerthan the exposed area of the front and rear waist regions 14, 15 of thediaper 10 so that the plates may compress the entire exposed area ofthese front and rear waist regions 14, 15. It should be understood herethat the dimension of the row 4 in the back-and-forth dimension when itexactly coincides with the dimension of the bag 2 in the back-and forthdirection refers to the dimension defined between the pair of acrylplates.

[0036] In the case of this package 1A, a force of 18 N or lower isenough to draw one of the diapers 10 out from the row 4 and a force in arange of 15 to 18 N is enough to draw the first diaper 10 out from therow 4. If a force higher than 18 N is necessary to draw one of thediapers 10 out from the row 4, the diaper 10 could not be smoothly drawnout from the bag 2 unless the diaper is drawn with a considerably highforce. In addition to such inconvenience, there is a possibility thatone or two diapers 10 adjacent to the target diaper 10 might be drawnout from the row 4 as the target diaper 10 is drawn out from the row 4.

[0037] A force necessary to the diaper 10 out from the row 4 wasmeasured in a manner as follows:

[0038] (1) Eight diapers 10 with the waist-lateral portions 18 foldedback together with the side edges 13 c of the core 13 as seen in FIG. 3were arranged in the back-and-forth direction within the bag 2. Withinthe bag 2, the intermediate portions 28 of the diapers 10 exposed in theback-and-forth direction were in contact one with another to form therow 4, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Within the bag 2, a pressure ina range of 10 to 75 N was exerted inward upon the row 4 in theback-and-forth direction from the longitudinally opposite ends 4 a, 4 bof the row 4;

[0039] (2) A single diaper 10 was selected from the row 4 and thewaist-surrounding end portion 17 was gripped by a chuck of a tensiletester;

[0040] (3) The diaper 10 gripped by the chuck was drawn out from the row4 toward above the bag 2 by means of the tensile tester and a forcerequired to draw the diaper 10 out from the row 4 was measured by thetensile tester; and

[0041] (4) As the tensile tester, INSTRON 5564 (supplied from INSTRONCORP.) was used. A tensile rate was 500 mm/min. It should be understoodthat the maximum value obtained under the measurement condition as setforth above was defined as the force necessary to draw the diaper 10 outfrom the row 4.

[0042] According to the package 1A, a plurality of diapers 10 have beencompactly folded so that an area over which each pair of the diapersadjacent to each other come in contact with each other may be reducedand correspondingly a frictional force (frictional resistance) generatedbetween the diapers adjacent to each other may be alleviated compared tothe case in which a plurality of diapers 10 are packed in the bag 2without being folded. Consequently, a force of 18 N or lower is enoughto draw the diaper 10, particularly, the first diaper 10 out from thecomplete row 4 of the diapers 10 regardless of the fact that thiscomplete row 4 is under a pressure in a range of 10 to 75 N exertedinward thereupon in one direction from the longitudinally opposite endsof the row 4.

[0043] While the bag 2 is illustrated to contain therein sixteen diapers10 in two rows 4, the number of diapers 10 to be packed in the bag 2 isnot limited to sixteen but optional so far as a plurality of diapers 10(specifically eight or more diapers 10) are arranged in one direction tofrom the row 4.

[0044] While the force necessary to draw the diaper 10 out from the row4 has been described above with respect to the case in which the diaper10 gripped by the chuck of the tensile tester is drawn out from the row4 toward above the bag 2 and this force is measured by the tensiletester, it is possible also to draw the diaper 10 gripped by the chuckof the tensile tester out laterally from the row 4 and to measure thisforce by the tensile tester. In this case also, the force required todraw one of the diapers 10 out from the row 4 of the diapers 10 is 18 Nor lower and obviously the force required to draw the first diaper 10out from the row 4 is in a range of 18 to 15 N.

[0045]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating alternative manner inwhich the individual diaper 10 is folded in order to be packed in thepackage 1B, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a developed planar shape ofthe diaper 10 illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7 is a perspective viewillustrating a manner in which the diaper 10 folded in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 5 is drawn out from the bag 2.

[0046] The diaper 10 is formed in the waist-lateral portions 18 withfold-guiding lines 29 a, 29 b extending in the longitudinal direction asindicated by chain double-dashed lines. These fold-guiding lines 29 a,29 b extend parallel to a longitudinal center line 25 so as to extend inthe respective side edges 13 c of the core 13 in the front and rearwaist regions 14, 15 as well as parts of the side edges 13 b of the core13 in the crotch region 16. In the waist-lateral portions 18 and thecrotch region 16, the diaper 10 is folded back along these fold-guidinglines 29 a, 29 b. In this manner, the waist's side edges 18 are foldedinward together with the side edges 13 c of the core 13 in the front andrear waist regions 14, 15 toward the longitudinal center line 25.Simultaneously, the leg-surrounding lateral portions 19 destined to formthe leg-holes 22 are also folded inward together with the side edges 13b of the core 13 in the crotch region 16.

[0047] In the case of this diaper 10, parts of the respectivewaist-lateral portions 18 in the vicinity of the edges thereof extendbeyond the longitudinal center line 25 so as to occupy positions opposedto each other about the longitudinal center line 25 as the waist-lateralportions 18 are folded inward along the fold-guiding lines 29 a, 29 b.Consequently, the waist-lateral portions 18 overlap each other in athickness direction of the diaper 10 and the leg-surrounding lateralportions 19 forming the leg-holes 22 are folded along the fold-guidinglines 29 a, 29 b inward together with the side edges 13 b of the core 13in the crotch region 16. In this way, the intermediate portions 28 ofthe front and rear waist regions 14, 15 between the waist-lateralportions 28 and the leg-surrounding lateral portions 19 are exposedoutward. Therefore, the exposed area of the diaper 10 can be furtherreduced and the diaper 10 can be made further compact.

[0048] In the package 1B, each of the diapers 10 packed within the bag 2has its waist-hole 21 facing the top wall 2 a of the bag 2 and itscrotch region 16 lying on the bottom wall 2 b of the package 1B. Withinthe bag 2, the diapers 10 are closely packed in a state of compressionin the back-and-forth direction with the intermediate portions 28 of thediapers 10 between the waist-lateral portions 18 and the leg-surroundinglateral portions 19 held in contact one with another. In this package1B, a pressure in a range of 10 to 75 N (preferably in a range of 20 to45 N) is exerted upon the row 4 of diapers 10 inward from longitudinallyopposite ends 4 a, 4 b of the row 4 in the back-and-forth direction (inone direction) between the longitudinally opposite side walls 2C, 2C ofthe bag 2.

[0049] Procedure to take out a target diaper 10 from the bag 2 is sameas in the case of the bag 2. In the case of the package 1B shown in FIG.7, a force of 18 N or lower is enough to draw one of the diapers 10 outfrom the row 4 and a force in a range of 15 to 18 N is enough to drawthe first diaper 10 out from the row 4. If a force higher than 18 N isnecessary to draw one of the diapers 10 out from the row 4, the diaper10 could not be smoothly drawn out from the bag 2 unless the diaper 10is drawn with a considerably high force. In addition to suchinconvenience, there is a possibility that one or two diapers 10adjacent to the target diaper 10 might be drawn out from the row 4 asthe target diaper 10 is drawn out from the row 4.

[0050] A pressure exerted inward upon the row 4 in the back-and-forthdirection from the longitudinally opposite ends 4 a, 4 b of the row 4and a force required to draw one of the diapers 10 out from the row 4 inthe package 1B of FIG. 7 were measured by the same methods as in thecase illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0051] Compared to the package 1A of FIG. 2, the package 1B furtherfacilitates the individual diaper 10 to be drawn out from the bag 2because the area over which each pair of the diapers 10 adjacent to eachother come in contact with each other can be further reduced and africtional force (frictional resistance) generated between the diapersadjacent to each other can be further alleviated.

[0052] A stock material for the topsheet 11 may be selected from thegroup consisting of a hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric, a hydrophobicfibrous nonwoven fabric having a plurality of apertures and a plasticfilm having a plurality of fine perforations. A stock material for thebacksheet 12 may be selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobicfibrous nonwoven fabric, a breathable but liquid-impervious plasticfilm, composite nonwoven fabric comprising two or more hydrophobicfibrous nonwoven fabric layers laminated one upon another and acomposite sheet comprising a hydrophobic fibrous nonwoven fabric and abreathable but liquid-impervious plastic film laminated upon each other.It is also possible to use, as a stock material for the backsheet 12, acomposite nonwoven fabric comprising a melt blown fibrous nonwovenfabric having a high water-resistance interposed between two layers ofspun bond fibrous nonwoven fabric being high in strength as well as inflexibility.

[0053] The nonwoven fabric may be selected from the group consisting ofthose obtained by spun lace-, needle punch-, melt blown-, thermal bond-,spun bond-, chemical bond- and air-through-processes. The componentfiber of nonwoven fabric may be selected from the group consisting ofpolyolefin-, polyester- and polyamide-based fibers, core-sheath type orside-by-side conjugated fibers of polyethylene/polypropylene orpolyethylene/polyester.

[0054] The core 13 is a mixture of fluff pulp and super-absorbentpolymer particles or a mixture of fluff pulp, super-absorbent polymerparticles and thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers, in both cases,compressed to a given thickness. Preferably, the core 13 is entirelywrapped with a liquid-pervious sheet such as a tissue paper or ahydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric to prevent the core 13 from gettingout of its initial shape and to prevent polymer particles from fallingoff. The polymer particles may be selected from the group consisting ofthose of starch-based polymer, cellulose-based polymer and syntheticpolymer.

[0055] Bonding the top- and backsheets 11, 12, bonding the core 13 tothese sheets 11, 12 and bonding the elastic members 23, 24 to thesesheets 11, 12 may be carried out using a hot melt adhesive or variousthermal welding techniques such as heat-sealing and ultrasonic sealing.

[0056] The package of disposable diapers according to the presentinvention includes within a bag a plurality of diapers each having beencompactly folded so that an area over which each pair of the diapersadjacent to each other come in contact with each other may be reducedand correspondingly a frictional force (frictional resistance) generatedbetween the diapers adjacent to each other may be alleviated compared tothe case in which a plurality of diapers are put in the bag withoutbeing folded. Consequently, a force of 18 N or lower is enough to drawthe diaper, particularly, the first diaper out from the complete row ofthe diapers regardless of the fact that this complete row is under apressure in a range of 10 to 75 N exerted inward thereupon in onedirection from the longitudinally opposite ends of the row.

[0057] The package of disposable diapers according to the presentinvention also includes within a bag a plurality of diapers in whicheach of the diapers has the leg-surrounding lateral portions forming theleg-holes folded inward together with the opposite side portions of thecore in the crotch region toward the longitudinal center line and theintermediate portions of the respective diapers except the waist-lateralportions and the leg-surrounding lateral portions are in close contactone with another. In this way, the diapers can be made further compactand the area of the diapers exposed outward can be further reduced.Correspondingly the frictional force (frictional resistance) generatedbetween each pair of the diapers adjacent to each other in the row canbe further alleviated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A package of disposable diapers comprising: a bagmade of flexible sheet including a pair of side walls; and a pluralityof disposable diapers having a waist-hole, a pair of leg-holes, frontand rear waist regions opposed to each other and a crotch regionextending between said front and rear waist regions wherein each of saiddiapers includes a liquid-absorbent core extending between said frontand rear waist regions, said diapers being packed within said bag;wherein: each of said diapers has waist-lateral portions and anintermediate portion extending between said waist-lateral portions, saidwaist-lateral portions being folded inward between themselves togetherwith lateral portions of said core toward a longitudinal center linebisecting a width dimension defined between edges of said waist-lateralportions; and said diapers are arranged in one direction to form a rowbetween said pair of side walls with said waist middle portion of eachof said diapers in close contact one with another and in a state ofcompression.
 2. The package according to claim 1, whereinleg-surrounding lateral portions forming said leg-holes are also foldedinward together with said lateral portions of said core extending insaid crotch region toward said longitudinal center line.
 3. The packageaccording to claim 1, wherein a pressure in a range of 10 to 75 N isexerted inward upon said row of said diapers in said one directionbetween said side walls of said bag opposed to each other so that aforce of 18 N or lower is enough to draw one of said diapers out fromsaid row.